Many modern homes today have a television, a videotape recorder, a cable or satellite connection, and a personal computer with an Internet connection. Because these devices are relatively expensive and offer complementary features, there have been efforts to converge the television technologies with the personal computer/Internet technologies.
For example, some personal computers have been equipped with television tuner cards, which allow the reception of television programming through the cable or satellite connection. Such television tuner cards can also be equipped with video capture capabilities, to allow later playback of captured programming. However, equipping a personal computer with video capabilities has not gained wide acceptance amongst the general public as a replacement for a television, in part because the typical personal computer monitor is relatively small and, in particular, significantly smaller than the typical family room television. Moreover, the typical personal computer is equipped with a relatively more limited and inferior sound system, which can be disadvantageous when marketing to modern viewers who require, for example, high-fidelity sound or even a Surround Sound system.
Another convergence approach, known as WebTV, has been to provide the television with a set-top box and keyboard to allow, for example, Internet access through the television set and cable connection. While such systems are adequate for simple e-mail communication and limited Web browsing, WebTV also has failed to gain widespread acceptance, at least in part because the resolution of the typical television is much more crude than that of the computer monitor, and can also produce formatting idiosyncrasies which can make it difficult to view many web pages.
Each of these systems suffers from additional disadvantages which may have contributed to the failure to develop an effective converged video system: Personal computers are frequently upgraded and replaced; television sets and home entertainment systems, however, have a significantly longer life span.
As such, there is a need for a multimedia telecommunications system that provides improved convergence of television and personal computer based resources. There is a further need for a convergence system that allows the user to maintain separate television and personal computer based resources.